US - Triple a estimates 41-*million people will travel 50 miles or more from home this week.

But that's about 600-thousand less than last Thanksgiving.

Channel Three's Mollye Barrows joins us now with why some people are staying close to home.

Even though the cost of gas is lower than it's been in years, the state of the overall economy has some people staying home.

That's especially true among air travelers.

Thanksgiving travelers can't quite believe their eyes as they make their way through the nation's airports and down its highways.

Holiday travelers leaving the city for Thanksgiving found smaller crowds than usual at La Guardia and other airports, with the slumping economy blamed for keeping people at home.

Air travel's expected to be down 7 percent, on this, the busiest travel day of the year.

Anthony Giacinto, "I thought it would be busier today but we just breezed through."

Barbara Kniffin "It's almost eerie," butt with "other years at this time, it would be a madhouse."

The Federal Aviation Administration reported general delays of 15 minutes or less at new york airports.

The Federal Government's Flight Delay Web Site showed no significant holdups at major airports as of midday.

Air traffic control's system command center says there are no major delays, and 'things are looking great.'

Meanwhile, triple a says highways traffic should be down about 1 percent compared with last year.

And that's with good driving weather across most of the country, and, with gas prices more than a dollar cheaper than this time, a year ago.

Travel experts attribute the drop off to worries about the economy.

Beth Mosher Abc "The economy is in such bad shape. ... they're still really hesitant to take that trip."

There is some good news out there, though:

Families traveling in Albuquerque and other airports now have access to "Family Lanes".. also known as "Green" or "Diamond" lanes...

Making maneuvering strollers and little ones, a lot easier.

Ingrid Domonkos: "It's a little stressful, you look forward to getting where you're going, but being inn the airport, that's the hardest part of the whole journey."

Daniel Jiron: "We hope that it can ease the congestion at the regular lanes . As well as provide a little less stress for the people who use it."

Earlier this month, President Bush authorized the use of military airspace for commercial flights to ease congestion.

Here in Pensacola, flights have pretty much been running smoothly all day.Thanksgiving Travel